There are some huge x50 Nikon Porros in my local shop that cost about 150 clams. At that price, you could just get them as a special purpose buy, and see if the magnification is really what you want. The added advantage is a 3D effect from the objective separation.Go straight to 10x50. Actually, people tend to sell them used on the net these days, so you can get nice ones used.
Edmund
I know and the UHD 8x42 $400 less (on sale) than SFL 40 and more pop and sparkle.Vortex Razor UHD 10x50. You can buy them for $1399.00 at B&H with an email offer. A 10x40 or 10x42 won't be that much better than your 8x42.
Agreed.There are some huge x50 Nikon Porros in my local shop that cost about 150 clams. At that price, you could just get them as a special purpose buy, and see if the magnification is really what you want. The added advantage is a 3D effect from the objective separation.
My own experience testing Zeiss SF is that even that superb 10x42 tends to go meh in low contrast situations, eg overcast winter afternoons, I wouldn’t have expectations in low light of any binocular I haven’t tried, alpha or not.
Edmund
Nikon have a bunch of easy to get value instruments. Habicht are the best transmission x42 but a cheap 50 will still probably be in the same league as a very good 42 on light gathering alone. That’s like comparing a truck to a van. DO A TEST.A porro would be nice. That's why I am leaning towards the Habicht 10x40. The Habicht 7x42 could be interesting as well, but then, it is 7 power instead of 10. I will send an e-mail to Swarovski to make a Habicht 10x50 or SLC 10x50
So for 50mm porro's Nikon is the brand I assume.
The Nikon A-EX 10x50 are an option IF you can live with the huge round eye pieces obviously conceived for a flatter facial terrain than is common in our geographical area. I found them to give a good view for the money but impossible to fit my nose between the eye pieces while still aligning my pupils with the exit pupils. So they were always floating in front of my face admitting loads of stray light and reducing the FOV.A porro would be nice. That's why I am leaning towards the Habicht 10x40. The Habicht 7x42 could be interesting as well, but then, it is 7 power instead of 10. I will send an e-mail to Swarovski to make a Habicht 10x50 or SLC 10x50
So for 50mm porro's Nikon is the brand I assume.
I have a 10x56 DDoptics "Nighteagle" (400€) that is actually brighter
That is a very real danger . I bought the 10x56 mainly for astronomy and it really shines for that. But it suffers from some CA during the day. Might be in part because of the compact size. But the sharpness is outstanding.I am afraid I will still get the SLC 8x42 when I am out at dawn and forget the "inferior" binoculars.
I am sorry. What do you mean exactly? What is exactly the dager you are talking about?That is a very real danger .
The danger is that you would prefer the better bino you already own and not use the 400€ DDoptics.I am sorry. What do you mean exactly? What is exactly the dager you are talking about?
Ich verstehe es nicht. Entschuldigung. 🤷♂️
I’ve been there - when there is a marked scale in objective diameters, in low light one binocular sees, the other goes blind.The danger is that
The danger is that you would prefer the better bino you already own and not use the 400€ DDoptics.
It seems the size of the DDoptics Nighteagle ERGO 10x56 Gen 3 DX is very compact. Do you use it for lowlight birdwatching purposes other than using it for stargazing? I am also curious whether you compared it with other DDoptics models (i.e., DDoptics Nighthawk Ergo Gen 3.1 10x56 green and DDoptics Pirschler 10x56 Gen.3). They have a bit more FOV. Did you buy this model due to its compact size/agronomy compared to the Pirschler with AK prisms?There are some rather compact 10x56 out there. That's what I'd choose. I have a 10x56 DDoptics "Nighteagle" (400€) that is actually brighter than the 10x60 Oberwerk Mariner porro (which is huuuuge).
Comparison pic, from left to right - Fuji FMTR, Nighteagle 10x56, Fuji HC 8x42.